Socket release construction for socket wrench

ABSTRACT

A wrench comprising an elongated housing having a transverse output rotary shaft at one end thereof. An oscillating pneumatic motor is disposed within the housing and is connected by a oneway clutch to the shaft to rotate the latter. A socket shaft extends through the output shaft and is adapted to extend beyond one end or the other of the output shaft and to have a socket mounted thereon. The socket shaft includes novel detent means to retain the socket thereon and to readily release the socket therefrom when desired.

O United States Patent [151 3,638,5 1 9 Rebold 1 Feb. 1, 1972 [54]SOCKET RELEASE CONSTRUCTION 3,438,291 4/1969 Bergquist ..31/62 FORSOCKET WRENCH 1,578,065 3/1926 Bcmus et al. .....8l/61 I 2,290,1977/1942 Merriman et a1. 81/5739 UX 1 1 lnvemofl Jerome Rebold, Tlmomumt3,564,954 2/1971 La Pointe ..81/61 [73] Assignec'. The Black and DeckerManufacturing Company Towson, Primary ExammerJames L. Jones, Jr.

Attorney-Leonard Bloom, Joseph R. Slotnik and Edward D. [22] Filed: June8, I970 Murphy [21] Appl.No.: 44,048 ABSTRACT [52] U s Cl 81/1776 81/60A wrench comprising an elongated housing having a trans- [sl 1 loo B25gl/OO verse output rotary shaft at one end thereof. An oscillating {58]Fie'ld DIG 1 39 58 1 pneumatic motor is disposed within the housing andis con- 8 nected by a one-way clutch to the shaft to rotate the latter.A socket shaft extends through the output shaft and is adapted to extendbeyond one end or the other of the output shaft and to [56] ReferencesCited have a socket mounted thereon. The socket shaft includes UNITEDSTATES PATENTS novel detent means to retain the socket thereon and toreadily release the socket therefrom when desired. 1,807,134 5/1931Pfauser ..81/61 3,532,013 10/1970 Haznar ..81/62 14 Claims, 5 DrawingFigures h 7 23 .9 77-77 W I I I k 4/ en 38 W 47 PATENIEMa mm 3.638.519

INVENTOR JEROME I. REBOLD ATTORNEY SOCKET RELEASE CONSTRUCTION FORSOCKET WRENCH SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is directedto a novel socket release construction, including a drive shaft and asocket shaft to which a wrench socket is to be attached, for asocket-type wrench. The socket shaft is constructed to allow the socketto be snapped in place and facilitates quick release of the sockettherefrom so that the socket can be removed without pulling. In thisway, sockets can readily be removed and/or replaced with one hand evenwhen the operators hands are greasy or wet. In addition, the shaftassembly, which includes the drive and socket shafts, may be of thereversible drive type, i.e., one in which the drive shaft can be drivenin either direction, or it may be of the double-ended, i.e., one inwhich the drive shaft is driven in only one direction but sockets can beattached to either end of the socket shaft. Furthermore, this shaftassembly can be used in a powered tool, a handtool, or one which employsboth power and hand driven techniques commonly referred to as a nutrunner.

Main objects of the present invention, therefore, are to provide a novelsocket wrench shaft assembly including a socket release construction,which securely holds a socket in place thereon but which facilitatesquick release and easy removal of the sockets therefrom.

Further important objects of the invention are to provide a novel socketwrench shaft assembly and socket release of the above character which isadapted for use in both hand and power operable wrenches, and in bothsingle ended reversible, and double ended unidirectional socketwrenches.

Additional objects are to provide a novel shaft assembly and socketrelease of the above character which is relatively inexpensive tomanufacture, rugged in construction, and reliable m use.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become more apparentfrom a consideration of the detailed description to follow taken inconjunction with the drawings annexed hereto.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective viewillustrating a powered nut runner embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of a portion of the tool of FIG. 1and shown with a socket in place thereon;

FIG. 3 is a view, similar to FIG. 2, and showing the parts in positionduring socket release;

FIG. 4 is an exploded view illustrating the socket shaft, socket, anddetent assembly; and

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 2 but showing the socket shaft andsocket in position for reverse operation.

BROAD STATEMENT OF THE INVENTION Broadly described, the presentinvention relates to a socket wrench of the type which includes anelongated body, a transverse shaft assembly disposed adjacent one end ofsaid body and including a push-through shaft having opposite endsadapted to extend laterally beyond said body selectively at oppositesides thereof, means interconnecting said shaft assembly and said bodyfor conjoint rotation in one direction, socket means cooperativelyengageable with the selected end of said push-through shaft androtatable therewith, and means retaining said socket means in positionon the selected extended end of said push-through shaft; the improvementwhich includes manually pushable means movable in the direction of theselected extended end of said push-through shaft and operable to releasesaid retaining means from said socket means at said selected extendedends.

In another aspect, the present invention relates to a socket wrenchcomprising an elongated body having a socket shaft extendingtransversely thereto at one end thereof, said socket shaft extendingoutwardly of said body at one side for cooperative engagement with asocket, detent means on said socket shaft and engageable with saidsocket to retain it in position on said socket shaft, resilient meansnormally biasing said detent means into retaining engagement with saidsocket, the other end of said socket shaft being accessible at the otherside of said body and adapted to be manually pushed in one directiontransversely of said body, said resilient means being restrained againstmovement in said one direction and being withdrawn from said detentmeans upon movement of said socket shaft in said one direction, wherebymovement of said socket shaft in said one direction retracts saidresilient means from said detent means and releases said socket fromsaid socket shaft.

In yet another aspect, the present invention relates to a socket wrenchcomprising an elongated body, a rotatable shaft assembly extendingtransversely of said body at one end thereof, one-way clutch meansbetween said body and said shaft assembly, said shaft assembly includingan elongated socket shaft adapted to extend laterally from alternatesides of said body, detent means on both ends of said socket shaft andadapted to releasably retain a socket on the extended end thereof and toretain said socket shaft in a transverse position relative to said bodythereon, spring means normally holding said detent means in a socketretaining position, said socket shaft being capable of relativelylimited movement transversely of said body by manually pushing thenonextended end thereof, said spring means being restrained againsttransverse movement when said socket shaft undergoes said relativelylimited movement releasable from the detent means at an op posite end ofsaid socket shaft from said pushed end, whereby to release saidlast-mentioned detent means from a socket means at said opposite socketshaft end; said socket shaft being capable of relatively extendedmovement transversely of said body by manually pushing on the extendedend thereof, whereby to cause the other end of said socket shaft toextend laterally of said body, said detent means operable to releasablyretain a socket on the now extended end of said socket shaft and toretain said socket shaft in its now transverse position relative to saidbody.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Referring now more specifically to the drawings, asocket wrench embodying the present invention is illustrated generallyat 11 in FIG. 1. The particular wrench 11 illustrated is known as a nutrunner which, in one method of operation, utilizes an internal motor todrive a socket shaft to which a socket is attached, while in anothermethod of operation, the socket shaft and socket are manually coupled tothe body of the tool and are turned with the tool body using the latteras a handle. The present invention, however, transcends the particularnature of the wrench and finds use both in powered wrenches, handwrenches, and those which are operable by hand or power.

With this in mind, the wrench 11 is seen to include an elongated body 13including top and bottom covers l2, l4 and a spacer 16 secured togetherin sandwich fashion disposed therein and powered by compressed airsupplied thereto through a conduit 15. The motor (not shown) oscillatesa lever which includes a ring 19 rotatably supported at one end of thebody 13 (see also FIG. 2). A driven shaft 21 is disposed within the ring19 and has reduced end portions 23, 25 rotatably supported in openings27, 29 in the top and bottom covers 12, 14 respectively.

For a detailed explanation of this motor construction, reference may bemade to the copending application of Russell A. Fritts and Jerome I.Rebold, Ser. No. 44,068, filed June 8, 1970, and owned by the assigneeof the present application.

The lever is connected to the shaft 21 by a one-way clutch 23 disposedwithin the ring 19 and around the shaft and this clutch 23 is designedto transmit rotation from the ring 19 to the shaft 21 in one directionwhile allowing the ring 19 to turn freely relative to the shaft 21 inthe other direction. Thus, the one-way clutch 23 transmits both poweredmovement of the lever 17 and hand rotation of the body 13 in onedirection to the shaft 21 while allowing free relative movement betweenthe shaft 21 and the lever 17 and body 13 in the other direction.

The shaft 21 includes a generally rectangular through opening 31 havingan elongated socket shaft 39 nonrotatably disposed therein. The socketshaft 39 extends outwardly beyond one side of the driven shaft 21 andbody 13 and is adapted to have a socket 41 nonrotatably fitted thereon.The outer end of the socket 41 is adapted to nonrotatably fit over aworkpiece to be rotated such as a nut or bolt. Thus, the workpiece (notshown) is turnedeither by actuating the motor to oscillate the lever, orby manually turning the body 13 about the axis of the lever ring 19.

conventionally, these sockets 41 are held in place on the socket shaft39 by detent means so that one socket can be removed from the socketshaft and another different sized socket attached thereto quickly andeasily. Thus, as shown, in FIG. 2, the socket shaft 39 has a steppeddetent pin 43 positioned in a stepped bore 45 therein. A leaf-typespring 47 is disposed in a longitudinal slot 48 in the socket shaft 39and bears against a conical rearward end of the pin 43 and normallymaintains the other end slightly radially extended from the socket shaft39. The socket 41 has a complimentary recess 49 therein which receivesthe extended end of the pin 43 in detent fashion to releasably hold thesocket 41 in place on the socket shaft. The extended end of the detentpin 43 is rounded, as shown, for easy attachment of the socket 41thereto.

Normally, these sockets are removed from their socket shaft be graspingand pulling on the socket, or by using, for example, a screwdriver orsimilar tool to pry the socket off the socket shaft. It will beappreciated that when the operators hands are wet or greasy, it may bedifficult for him to pull the socket off the socket shaft, and to use ascrewdriver or other similar tool to pry the socket loose from thesocket shaft requires keeping a special tool handy. In the constructionof the present invention, the socket 41 can be so removed by graspingand pulling thereon; however, the present invention provides for readyrelease of the detent pin 43 from holding relation with the socket 41 sothat the latter is quickly and easily removed from the socket shaft 39with one hand and without pulling, and without any special tools.

As shown in FIG. 2, the leaf spring 47 includes an offset center portion50 provided with a pair of tabs 51, 53 struck outwardly therefrom. Thetabs 51, 53 are disposed in a longitudinal recess 55 in the driven shaft21 and limit lengthwise movement of the spring 47 with the socket shaft39 and relative to the driven shaft. In addition, the socket shaft 39has a center cavity 57 with a coil spring 59 disposed therein. Thespring 59 is held with a portion thereof positioned in the offset centerportion 50 of the leaf spring 47 by a dished retainer 61 pressed intocavity 57.

In use, a socket 41 is pushed on the socket shaft 39 until the detentpin 43 snaps into the socket recess 47. When it is desired to remove thesocket 41, the operator pushes the end of the socket shaft 39 oppositethe end having the socket 41 thereon. The socket shaft 39 movesslightly, as shown in FIG. 3, whereas the leaf spring 47 cannot becauseof the position of tab 53 in the end of the recess 55. As the socketshaft 39 moves relative to the leaf spring 47, the coil spring 59 iscompressed and the end of the leaf spring 47 moves clear of the taperedrearward conical end of the detent pin 43. Now, the detent pin 43 nolonger holds the socket 41 which falls freely from the socket shaft 39.Whn the operator releases the socket shaft 39, the coil spring 59returns it to the FIG. 2 position with the leaf spring 47 in engagementwith the conical end of the detent pin 43.

The socket shaft 39 has another stepped detent pin 63 substantiallyidentical to the pin 43 and disposed in another stepped bore 65 thereinnear the end of shaft 39 opposite the stepped bore 45. Like the detentpin 43, the pin 63 has a conical rearward end normally engaged by theleaf spring 47 while its other end is rounded and normally extendsradially from the socket shaft 39.

In the position of the parts shown in FIG. 2, the rounded end of detentpin 63 is located in the upper end of a recess 67 in the driven shaft 21and together with the tab 53, which is positioned at the lower end ofthe recess 55, holds the socket shaft 39 with its lower end extendingoutwardly of the shaft 21 as shown. Since the shaft 21 is driven in onedirection only, (through the one-way clutch 23), a socket 41 on thisextended end of the socket shaft 39 is driven in this one samedirection. When it is desired to turn a workpiece in the oppositedirection, the socket shaft 39 is shifted to position its upper endextending outwardly beyond the shaft 21, and a suitable socket 41 isattached thereto. This is achieved by pushing on the lower end of thesocket shaft 39 (after the socket 41 has been removed therefrom) andmoving it transversely of the tool 11 until the detent pin 63 is movedinto recess 67. This type of socket shaft is sometimes referred to as apushthrough socket shaft. The parts will now be positioned as shown inFIG. 5 and a socket 41 is now positionable on the upper end of thesocket shaft 39 and is retained in place by detent pin 63.

When it is desired to remove a socket 41 from this end of the socketshaft 39, the same technique is applied, that is, the operator presseson the other (lower) end of the socket shaft 39. This causes the socketshaft 39 to move slightly relative to the driven shaft 21 while the tab51, now at the upper end of the recess 55, prevents the spring 47 fromso moving. Thus, the spring 47 is withdrawn from the detent pin 63 andthe socket 41 readily falls away therefrom.

By the foregoing, there has been disclosed a novel socket releaseassembly calculated to fulfill the inventive objects hereinabove setforth, and while a preferred embodiment has been illustrated and setforth in detail, various additions, substitutions, modifications andomissions may be made thereto without departing from the spirit of theinvention.

We claim:

1. In a socket wrench of a type which includes an elongated body, atransverse shaft assembly disposed adjacent one end of said body andincluding a push-through shaft having opposite ends adapted to extendlaterally beyond said body selectively at opposite sides thereof, meansinterconnecting said shaft assembly and said body for conjoint rotationin one direction, socket means cooperatively engageable with theselected extended ends of said push-through shaft and rotatabletherewith, and means retaining said socket means in posi tion on theselected extended end of said push-through shaft; the improvement whichincludes manually pushable means movable in the direction of theselected extended end of said push-through shaft and operable to releasesaid retaining means from said socket means at said selected extendedend.

2. A socket wrench comprising an elongated body having a socket shaftextending transversely thereto at one end thereof, said socket shaftextending outwardly of said body at one side for cooperative engagementwith a socket, detent means on said socket shaft and engageable withsaid socket to retain it in position on said socket shaft, resilientmeans normally biasing said detent means into retaining engagement withsaid socket, the other end of said socket shaft being accessible at theother side of said body and adapted to be manually pushed in onedirection transversely of said body, said resilient means beingrestrained against movement in said one direction and being withdrawnfrom said detent means upon movement of said socket shaft in said onedirection, whereby movement of said socket shaft in said one direction,whereby movement of said socket shaft in said one direction retractssaid resilient means from said detent means and releases said socketfrom said socket shaft.

3. A socket wrench comprising an elongated body, a rotatable shaftassembly extending transversely of said body at one end thereof, one-wayclutch means between said body and said shaft assembly, said shaftassembly including an elongated socket shaft adapted to extend laterallyfrom alternate sides of said body, detent means on both ends of saidsocket shaft and adapted to releasably retain a socket on the extendedend thereof and to retain said socket shaft in a transverse positionrelative to said body, spring means normally holding said detent meansin a retaining position, said socket shaft being capable of relativelylimited movement transversely of said body by manually pushing thenonextended end thereof, said spring means being restrained againsttransverse movement when said socket shaft undergoes said relativelylimited movement and being releasable from the detent means at anopposite end of said socket shaft from said pushed end, whereby torelease said last-mentioned detent means from a socket means at saidopposite socket shaft end, said socket shaft being capable of relativelyextended movement transversely of said body by manually pushing on theextended end thereof, whereby to cause the other end of said socketshaft to extend laterally of said body, said detent means operable toreleasably retain the socket on the now extended end of said socketshaft and to retain said socket shaft in its now transverse positionrelative to said body.

4. A wrench as defined in claim 1 wherein said retaining means includesdetent means normally biased by spring means into retaining engagementwith said socket means, said manually pushable means being operable towithdraw said spring means from said detent means, whereby to releasesaid socket means.

5. A wrench as defined in claim 4 wherein said pushthrough shaftincludes a socket shaft, said manually pushable means comprising thenonextended end of said socket shaft.

6. A wrench as defined in claim 4 wherein said spring means includes aleaf-type spring, said socket shaft includes another detent meansnormally engaged by said leaf-type spring, said another detent meansbeing engageable with means in said body when said socket shaft extendsoutwardly of said body at the other side thereof, whereby saidfirst-mentioned detent means engages with said means in said body andsaid another detent means is adapted to retain a socket on said socketshaft at the other side of said body.

7. A wrench as defined in claim 1 wherein said shaft, assembly includesa driven shaft rotatably supported on said body, said push-through shaftcomprising a socket shaft extending nonrotatably through said drivenshaft and adapted to extend laterally beyond one end or the other ofsaid driven shaft, detent means on either end of said socket shaft andadapted to releasably retain a socket on the extended end of said socketshaft said manually pushable means including the nonextended end of saidsocket shaft, said detent means being releasable from said socket whensaid socket shaft is pushed relative to said driven shaft toward saidextended end.

8. A wrench as defined in claim 7 wherein said detent means includes adetent pin at either end of said socket shaft, spring means engageablewith and normally biasing each said detent pin into a position to retaina socket on the extended end of said socket shaft, said spring beingwithdrawn from said detent pin adjacent said extended end of said socketshaft when said socket shaft is displaced laterally toward said extendedend relative to said driven shaft.

9. A wrench as defined in claim 8 which includes one-way clutch meansbetween said shaft assembly and said body, said socket shaft beinglaterally displaceable relative to said driven shaft in a directionopposite said first-mentioned direction by manually pushing on said oneend thereof, whereby to position said first-mentioned detent pin incooperative engagement with said driven shaft and whereby said seconddetent pin is exposed for cooperative engagement with said socket.

10. A wrench as defined in claim 9 wherein said spring means includes aleaf-type spring extending generally lengthwise of said socket shaft,said detent pins being disposed in transverse bores in said socket shaftand each having one end engageable by said leaf-type spring, meanslimiting move ment of said leaf-type spring lengthwise with said socketshaft, whereby said leaf-type spring is withdrawn from the detent pin inengaging relation with said socket when said socket shaft is pushed insaid one direction.

l. A wrench as defined ll'l claim 1 wherein said shaft assembly includesa driven shaft rotatably supported upon said housing, said push-throughshaft comprising a socket shaft extending nonrotatably through saiddriven shaft, a detent member extending transversely through said socketshaft ad jacent each end thereof, resilient means normally biasing saiddetent members in one direction to retain a socket member on theextended end of said socket shaft, said pushable means comprising thenonextended end of said socket shaft which is pushable to move saidsocket shaft transversely of said body toward said extended end, meansrestraining movement of said resilient means in said direction, wherebysaid resilient means is withdrawn from the detent member at saidextended end to release said socket member.

12. A wrench as defined in claim 11 wherein said resilient meansincludes a relatively flat spring extending lengthwise of said socketshaft, said restraining means including cooperable shoulder means onsaid flat spring and said driven shaft.

13. A wrench as defined in claim 12 which further includes a coil springcarried by said socket shaft and engaged with said flat spring, wherebyto normally bias said socket shaft in a direction toward saidnonextended end.

14, A wrench as defined in claim 11 wherein said resilient meansnormally biases the detent adjacent said nonextended socket shaft endinto engagement with recess means in said driven shaft to resilientlyrestrain said socket shaft against movement transversely of said bodytoward said nonextended end, said socket shaft being movable by pushingsaid extended end toward said nonextended end, whereby the detentpreviously engaged with said driven shaft recess means now is operableto releasably retain a socket on said socket shaft, and the detentpreviously operable to releasably retain a socket on said socket shaftis engageable with said driven shaft recess means.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No, Dated FEBRUARY 1,

Inventor-(s) JEROME l a EBOLIZ) It is certified that error appears inthe above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are herebycorrected as shown below:

AT COLUMN 4, LINE 6?, "SOCKET SHAFT IN SAID om: DIRECTION,

WHEREBY MOVEMENT OF SAID" SHOULD BE OMITTED.

Signed and sealed this 19th day of September 1972.

(SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD M.FLETCHER,JR. 2 ROBERT GOTTSCHALK Attesting Officer Commissionerof Patents

1. In a socket wrench of a type which includes an elongated body, a transverse shaft assembly disposed adjacent one end of said body and including a push-through shaft having opposite ends adapted to extend laterally beyond said body selectively at opposite sides thereof, means interconnecting said shaft assembly and said body for conjoint rotation in one direction, socket means cooperatively engageable with the selected extended ends of said push-through shaft and rotatable therewith, and means retaining said socket means in position on the selected extended end of sAid push-through shaft; the improvement which includes manually pushable means movable in the direction of the selected extended end of said push-through shaft and operable to release said retaining means from said socket means at said selected extended end.
 2. A socket wrench comprising an elongated body having a socket shaft extending transversely thereto at one end thereof, said socket shaft extending outwardly of said body at one side for cooperative engagement with a socket, detent means on said socket shaft and engageable with said socket to retain it in position on said socket shaft, resilient means normally biasing said detent means into retaining engagement with said socket, the other end of said socket shaft being accessible at the other side of said body and adapted to be manually pushed in one direction transversely of said body, said resilient means being restrained against movement in said one direction and being withdrawn from said detent means upon movement of said socket shaft in said one direction, whereby movement of said socket shaft in said one direction, whereby movement of said socket shaft in said one direction retracts said resilient means from said detent means and releases said socket from said socket shaft.
 3. A socket wrench comprising an elongated body, a rotatable shaft assembly extending transversely of said body at one end thereof, one-way clutch means between said body and said shaft assembly, said shaft assembly including an elongated socket shaft adapted to extend laterally from alternate sides of said body, detent means on both ends of said socket shaft and adapted to releasably retain a socket on the extended end thereof and to retain said socket shaft in a transverse position relative to said body, spring means normally holding said detent means in a retaining position, said socket shaft being capable of relatively limited movement transversely of said body by manually pushing the nonextended end thereof, said spring means being restrained against transverse movement when said socket shaft undergoes said relatively limited movement and being releasable from the detent means at an opposite end of said socket shaft from said pushed end, whereby to release said last-mentioned detent means from a socket means at said opposite socket shaft end, said socket shaft being capable of relatively extended movement transversely of said body by manually pushing on the extended end thereof, whereby to cause the other end of said socket shaft to extend laterally of said body, said detent means operable to releasably retain the socket on the now extended end of said socket shaft and to retain said socket shaft in its now transverse position relative to said body.
 4. A wrench as defined in claim 1 wherein said retaining means includes detent means normally biased by spring means into retaining engagement with said socket means, said manually pushable means being operable to withdraw said spring means from said detent means, whereby to release said socket means.
 5. A wrench as defined in claim 4 wherein said push-through shaft includes a socket shaft, said manually pushable means comprising the nonextended end of said socket shaft.
 6. A wrench as defined in claim 4 wherein said spring means includes a leaf-type spring, said socket shaft includes another detent means normally engaged by said leaf-type spring, said another detent means being engageable with means in said body when said socket shaft extends outwardly of said body at the other side thereof, whereby said first-mentioned detent means engages with said means in said body and said another detent means is adapted to retain a socket on said socket shaft at the other side of said body.
 7. A wrench as defined in claim 1 wherein said shaft, assembly includes a driven shaft rotatably supported on said body, said push-through shaft comprising a socket shaft extending nonrotatably through said driven shaft and adapted to extend laterally beyond one end or the other of said driven shaft, detent means on either end of said socket shaft and adapted to releasably retain a socket on the extended end of said socket shaft said manually pushable means including the nonextended end of said socket shaft, said detent means being releasable from said socket when said socket shaft is pushed relative to said driven shaft toward said extended end.
 8. A wrench as defined in claim 7 wherein said detent means includes a detent pin at either end of said socket shaft, spring means engageable with and normally biasing each said detent pin into a position to retain a socket on the extended end of said socket shaft, said spring being withdrawn from said detent pin adjacent said extended end of said socket shaft when said socket shaft is displaced laterally toward said extended end relative to said driven shaft.
 9. A wrench as defined in claim 8 which includes one-way clutch means between said shaft assembly and said body, said socket shaft being laterally displaceable relative to said driven shaft in a direction opposite said first-mentioned direction by manually pushing on said one end thereof, whereby to position said first-mentioned detent pin in cooperative engagement with said driven shaft and whereby said second detent pin is exposed for cooperative engagement with said socket.
 10. A wrench as defined in claim 9 wherein said spring means includes a leaf-type spring extending generally lengthwise of said socket shaft, said detent pins being disposed in transverse bores in said socket shaft and each having one end engageable by said leaf-type spring, means limiting movement of said leaf-type spring lengthwise with said socket shaft, whereby said leaf-type spring is withdrawn from the detent pin in engaging relation with said socket when said socket shaft is pushed in said one direction.
 11. A wrench as defined in claim 1 wherein said shaft assembly includes a driven shaft rotatably supported upon said housing, said push-through shaft comprising a socket shaft extending nonrotatably through said driven shaft, a detent member extending transversely through said socket shaft adjacent each end thereof, resilient means normally biasing said detent members in one direction to retain a socket member on the extended end of said socket shaft, said pushable means comprising the nonextended end of said socket shaft which is pushable to move said socket shaft transversely of said body toward said extended end, means restraining movement of said resilient means in said direction, whereby said resilient means is withdrawn from the detent member at said extended end to release said socket member.
 12. A wrench as defined in claim 11 wherein said resilient means includes a relatively flat spring extending lengthwise of said socket shaft, said restraining means including cooperable shoulder means on said flat spring and said driven shaft.
 13. A wrench as defined in claim 12 which further includes a coil spring carried by said socket shaft and engaged with said flat spring, whereby to normally bias said socket shaft in a direction toward said nonextended end.
 14. A wrench as defined in claim 11 wherein said resilient means normally biases the detent adjacent said nonextended socket shaft end into engagement with recess means in said driven shaft to resiliently restrain said socket shaft against movement transversely of said body toward said nonextended end, said socket shaft being movable by pushing said extended end toward said nonextended end, whereby the detent previously engaged with said driven shaft recess means now is operable to releasably retain a socket on said socket shaft, and the detent previously operable to releasably retain a socket on said socket shaft is engageable with said driven shaft recess means. 